Rugby league in Papua New Guinea
Encyclopedia
Rugby league
is the most popular team
sport
in Papua New Guinea
, and is indeed regarded as the national sport
. The people have a reputation for being the most passionate supporters of the game in the world.
Papua New Guinean rugby league has been hampered by the poor infrastructure in the country, and national competitions have proven difficult to sustain. Violence at large games has also become something of a problem, and the major Test nations have tended to be reluctant to tour Papua New Guinea due to safety concerns. Nonetheless rugby league remains the dominant sport, and is played across the nation, with competitions in major cities and rural regions alike.
n soldiers stationed in the country during and after the Second World War reintroduced the sport and in 1949 and the Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League
was founded . It quickly became a popular spectator sport.
During the 1960s rugby league grew to be the clear national sport of the country. Despite being the most popular spectator sport, rugby league was mainly played by Australians and New Zealanders at this time. It wasn't until over the following decade did participation numbers grow to reflect spectator numbers.
The governing body for rugby league in Papua New Guinea became members of the Rugby League International Federation
in 1974 and the national team's first ever Test match was a 40-12 home defeat by Great Britain
a year later. They first competed in the Rugby League World Cup
in the 1985-89
competition.
A record attendance was established at the Papua New Guinea Grand Final held at the Lloyd Robson Oval, Port Moresby on Sunday 8 September 1985. Despite heavy showers it was estimated that 18,000 spectators turned up to see Hobar West defeat Air Niugini by 14 points to nil.
The SP Inter-City Cup is the national competition and was first held in 1990.
Papua New Guinea was represented by Port Moresby Vipers
in the Queensland Cup
competition in 1996 and 1997.
The SP Cup was not held in the 2004 season due to funding problems, but the competition returned in 2005 as the Papua New Guinea National Rugby League
(PNGRL).
are the governing body for rugby league in Papua New Guinea. They have been members of the Rugby League International Federation
and Pacific Islands Rugby League Federation
.
(PNGRL), formerly known as the SP Inter-City Cup. The competition is made up of nine teams from various cities or provinces around Papua New Guinea all playing for the SP Cup. The competition follows the conventional Australian NRL format, with 26 round robin games followed by the top 4 teams entering the finals play-offs.
Below the SP Cup exist many local and provincial competitions, the most prestigious of which is the Port Moresby
League. In 2007 a new league called the Nokondi Cup
was created for teams in the Eastern Highlands
province.
A Port Moresby team (the Port Moresby Vipers
) competed in the Panasonic Cup
in 1986
, 1987
, 1988
and 1989; and in the Queensland Cup
in 1996 and 1997.
began in October 2008. The bid was launched by Sir Michael Somare.
in Australia or Super League
in Europe. It is the goal of the PNGRL to have 120 players participating in the NRL and Super League by 2010.
. In a nation where communities are far apart and many people live at a minimal subsistence level, rugby league has been described as a replacement for tribal warfare as a way of explaining the local enthusiasm for the game (a matter of life and death).
The annual Australian State of Origin
matches are the most watched sporting event of the year. Australian rugby league players who have played in the annual (Australian) State of Origin
clash, which is celebrated feverishly every year in Papua New Guinea, are among the most well known identities throughout the nation.
During the 2000 Rugby League World Cup
an estimated audience of 2 million watched the Kumuls lose to the Welsh Dragons
in the quarter finals in the early hours of the morning local time. Despite this loss over 50,000 fans welcomed the team at Port Moresby Airport later that week.
There are 10,000 registered senior players. They compete in 40 affiliated leagues around the country. Each league has a minimum of seven clubs and each club has four teams.
in 1975.
They compete in the Rugby League World Cup
and first entered a team in the 1985-89 competition
, though it was not until the 1995 Rugby League World Cup
that they were able to win away from home.
The Papua New Guinea national rugby league team
usually play against an Australian national rugby league team
(The Prime Minister's XIII made up of players in teams that have not qualified for the National Rugby League
Final Series) each year in Port Moresby
. It is such a popular fixture that thousands of people can't get into the ground once it's full, causing people to climb onto the stadium roof or up trees outside the ground in order to see the match. The limited capacity of the stadium for this fixture often sparks riots. Spectators clashed with riot police during this fixture in 2006.
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
is the most popular team
Team
A team comprises a group of people or animals linked in a common purpose. Teams are especially appropriate for conducting tasks that are high in complexity and have many interdependent subtasks.A group in itself does not necessarily constitute a team...
sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
, and is indeed regarded as the national sport
National sport
A national sport or national pastime is a sport or game that is considered to be an intrinsic part of the culture of a nation. Some sports are de facto national sports, as baseball is in the U.S., while others are de jure as lacrosse and ice hockey are in Canada.-De jure national sports:-De facto...
. The people have a reputation for being the most passionate supporters of the game in the world.
Papua New Guinean rugby league has been hampered by the poor infrastructure in the country, and national competitions have proven difficult to sustain. Violence at large games has also become something of a problem, and the major Test nations have tended to be reluctant to tour Papua New Guinea due to safety concerns. Nonetheless rugby league remains the dominant sport, and is played across the nation, with competitions in major cities and rural regions alike.
History
Papua New Guinea first came into contact during the gold rush in the 1930s through Australian miners. AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n soldiers stationed in the country during and after the Second World War reintroduced the sport and in 1949 and the Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League
Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League
The Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League are the governing body for rugby league in Papua New Guinea. They are based in the capital Port Moresby, the League has suffered financially due to member leagues not paying affiliation fees.-History:...
was founded . It quickly became a popular spectator sport.
During the 1960s rugby league grew to be the clear national sport of the country. Despite being the most popular spectator sport, rugby league was mainly played by Australians and New Zealanders at this time. It wasn't until over the following decade did participation numbers grow to reflect spectator numbers.
The governing body for rugby league in Papua New Guinea became members of the Rugby League International Federation
Rugby League International Federation
The Rugby League International Federation is the world governing body of rugby league football. It was formed in 1998 in Sydney, Australia. Its purpose is to, "foster, develop, extend, govern and administer the game of Rugby League throughout the world". Its headquarters are in Sydney, Australia,...
in 1974 and the national team's first ever Test match was a 40-12 home defeat by Great Britain
Great Britain national rugby league team
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
a year later. They first competed in the Rugby League World Cup
Rugby League World Cup
The Rugby League World Cup is an international rugby league competition contested by members of the Rugby League International Federation . It has been held nearly once every 4 years on average since its inaugural tournament in France in 1954...
in the 1985-89
1985 - 1988 Rugby League World Cup
The ninth Rugby League World Cup saw yet another change of format. The competition was stretched to cover almost three years , with teams playing each other on a home and away basis...
competition.
A record attendance was established at the Papua New Guinea Grand Final held at the Lloyd Robson Oval, Port Moresby on Sunday 8 September 1985. Despite heavy showers it was estimated that 18,000 spectators turned up to see Hobar West defeat Air Niugini by 14 points to nil.
The SP Inter-City Cup is the national competition and was first held in 1990.
Papua New Guinea was represented by Port Moresby Vipers
Port Moresby Vipers
The Port Moresby Vipers are a Papua New Guinean rugby league team from Port Moresby. They competed in the Panasonic Cup in 1986, 1987, 1988 and 1989 and the Queensland Cup competition in 1996 and 1997. Due to the cost of transportation to and from Australia they were not invited to compete in the...
in the Queensland Cup
Queensland Cup
The Queensland Cup is the premier rugby league football competition in the State of Queensland, Australia.It is a statewide competition with the majority of teams based in South East Queensland but also including sides based in Cairns, Mackay and Rockhampton.The competition began in 1996 as a...
competition in 1996 and 1997.
The SP Cup was not held in the 2004 season due to funding problems, but the competition returned in 2005 as the Papua New Guinea National Rugby League
Papua New Guinea National Rugby League
The Papua New Guinea National Rugby League Competition or the Digicel Cup is a semi-professional rugby league competition held annually in Papua New Guinea...
(PNGRL).
Governing body
The Papua New Guinea Rugby Football LeaguePapua New Guinea Rugby Football League
The Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League are the governing body for rugby league in Papua New Guinea. They are based in the capital Port Moresby, the League has suffered financially due to member leagues not paying affiliation fees.-History:...
are the governing body for rugby league in Papua New Guinea. They have been members of the Rugby League International Federation
Rugby League International Federation
The Rugby League International Federation is the world governing body of rugby league football. It was formed in 1998 in Sydney, Australia. Its purpose is to, "foster, develop, extend, govern and administer the game of Rugby League throughout the world". Its headquarters are in Sydney, Australia,...
and Pacific Islands Rugby League Federation
Pacific Islands Rugby League Federation
The Pacific Islands Rugby League Federation is the governing body of rugby league in the South Pacific.Papua New Guinea's Sports Minister Philemon Embel is the chairman of the PIRLF.-History:...
.
Domestic competitions
2005 saw the re-integration of the new look Papua New Guinea National Rugby LeaguePapua New Guinea National Rugby League
The Papua New Guinea National Rugby League Competition or the Digicel Cup is a semi-professional rugby league competition held annually in Papua New Guinea...
(PNGRL), formerly known as the SP Inter-City Cup. The competition is made up of nine teams from various cities or provinces around Papua New Guinea all playing for the SP Cup. The competition follows the conventional Australian NRL format, with 26 round robin games followed by the top 4 teams entering the finals play-offs.
Below the SP Cup exist many local and provincial competitions, the most prestigious of which is the Port Moresby
Port Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
League. In 2007 a new league called the Nokondi Cup
Nokondi Cup
The Nokondi Cup is a league competition where eight teams in the Eastern Highlands region of Papua New Guinea play rugby league. The league was thought up by The Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League in late 2006/early 2007 after other regions of Papua New Guinea created local leagues. The season...
was created for teams in the Eastern Highlands
Eastern Highlands (Papua New Guinea)
Eastern Highlands is a highlands province of Papua New Guinea. The provincial capital is Goroka. The province covers an area of 11,200 km², and has a population of 432,972 . The province shares a common administrative boundary with Madang, Morobe and Gulf and Simbu Provinces...
province.
A Port Moresby team (the Port Moresby Vipers
Port Moresby Vipers
The Port Moresby Vipers are a Papua New Guinean rugby league team from Port Moresby. They competed in the Panasonic Cup in 1986, 1987, 1988 and 1989 and the Queensland Cup competition in 1996 and 1997. Due to the cost of transportation to and from Australia they were not invited to compete in the...
) competed in the Panasonic Cup
Amco Cup
The Amco Cup was a mid-week rugby league competition held in Australia between 1974 and 1989. The format was usually a straight knock-out, but various group formats were used between 1979 and 1982...
in 1986
1986 National Panasonic Cup
-Format:Port Moresby and Western Australian joined the competition while Auckland left, meaning 17 teams participated in a straight knock-out. There was a random draw for all rounds other than the Preliminary Round.-Preliminary round:-Round 1:-Quarter finals:...
, 1987
1987 National Panasonic Cup
The National Panasonic Cup was a mid-week rugby league competition held in Australia. For background information about this competition, please refer to the Amco Cup main page.-Format:...
, 1988
1988 Panasonic Cup
-Format:Northern Territory, South Australia, Western Australia and Victoria were replaced by the 3 new NSWRL clubs reducing the competition to 19 teams, participating in a straight knock-out...
and 1989; and in the Queensland Cup
Queensland Cup
The Queensland Cup is the premier rugby league football competition in the State of Queensland, Australia.It is a statewide competition with the majority of teams based in South East Queensland but also including sides based in Cairns, Mackay and Rockhampton.The competition began in 1996 as a...
in 1996 and 1997.
NRL Team Bid
An official bid for a PNG team in the National Rugby LeagueNational Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
began in October 2008. The bid was launched by Sir Michael Somare.
Notable players
Many Papua New Guineans have gone on to play professional rugby league either in the National Rugby LeagueNational Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
in Australia or Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
in Europe. It is the goal of the PNGRL to have 120 players participating in the NRL and Super League by 2010.
- Marcus BaiMarcus BaiMarcus Bai is a Papua New Guinean former rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. Primarily a winger, he played his final season in 2006 for English Super League team Bradford Bulls. He is the only man to win the World Club Challenge with three different clubs...
- became a national celebrity after he played in the National Rugby League with Melbourne StormMelbourne StormThe Melbourne Storm are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the city of Melbourne. They are the first fully professional rugby league team based in the Australian rules football-dominated state of Victoria....
and later went to play in Super League - Adrian LamAdrian LamAdrian Lam is an Australian rugby league football coach and former international player. He is the head coach of the under 20 St George Dragons squad National Rugby League team he signed with them in 2010 and will combine with coaching legend Wayne Bennett.He is a former Papua New Guinea rugby...
- Stanley GeneStanley GeneStanley Gene is a former Papua New Guinean rugby league player who currently coaches the Villeneuve Leopards in the Elite One Championship in France. He recently played for Halifax in the Co-operative Championship. He has also previously played for Hull KR, Huddersfield Giants and Bradford Bulls...
- Neville CostiganNeville CostiganNeville Costigan is a professional rugby league footballer for the Newcastle Knights of the National Rugby League. A Queensland State of Origin and Papua New Guinea international representative, Costigan previously played for the Brisbane Broncos, Canberra Raiders and most recently, the St...
- John WilshereJohn WilshereJohn Wilshere is a Papua New Guinean professional rugby league footballer who recently left Salford City Reds at the end of the 2009 season.-Playing career:He is a household name in Papua New Guinea, where rugby league is the national sport...
- Paul AitonPaul AitonPaul Aiton is a Papua New Guinean rugby league player who plays for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and previously for the Penrith Panthers in the Australian National Rugby League competition. He primarily plays at hooker.With his family, Aiton relocated to Caboolture, Queensland in the early 1990s...
- Makali AizueMakali AizueMakali Aizue is a professional rugby league player who recently signed for Co-operative Championship club Halifax after playing his trade in Super League for Hull KR for many years.-Personal life:...
- Arnold Kerwanty
- Menzie YereMenzie YereMenzie Yere is a rugby league player who currently plays for Sheffield Eagles in England. He is a Papua New Guinea international...
- David Mead (rugby league)David Mead (rugby league)David Mead is a rugby league footballer for the Gold Coast Titans Toyota Cup team in Australia. Primarily a winger, Mead is considered one of the fastest players in the NRL. He plays on the wing. He is a Papua New Guinea international.Mead attended Kadina High School and Trinity Catholic College...
- Marcus BaiMarcus BaiMarcus Bai is a Papua New Guinean former rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. Primarily a winger, he played his final season in 2006 for English Super League team Bradford Bulls. He is the only man to win the World Club Challenge with three different clubs...
who played for 3 season which the Port Moresby Vipers (Now Port Moresby Bulldogs). Marcus Bai played for NRL premiership winners Melbourne Storm and Super League Champions Leeds Rhinos and Bradford Bulls. - Eliyas Piyo who played for the Adelaide Rams and Western Reds in the Australian Super League. Piyo home club was the Port Moresby Vipers (Now Port Moresby Bulldogs).
- Stanley GeneStanley GeneStanley Gene is a former Papua New Guinean rugby league player who currently coaches the Villeneuve Leopards in the Elite One Championship in France. He recently played for Halifax in the Co-operative Championship. He has also previously played for Hull KR, Huddersfield Giants and Bradford Bulls...
who played for the Goroko Lahanis for 2 seasons. He then played for Hull Kingston Rovers in the European Super League, before joining his current club Bradford Bulls. - Makali Aizue who plays for Hull Kingston Rovers in the European Super League. A powerhouse prop forward who played for the Lae Bombers.
Popularity
Rugby league is the most popular sport in Papua New Guinea and is commonly referred to as the national sportNational sport
A national sport or national pastime is a sport or game that is considered to be an intrinsic part of the culture of a nation. Some sports are de facto national sports, as baseball is in the U.S., while others are de jure as lacrosse and ice hockey are in Canada.-De jure national sports:-De facto...
. In a nation where communities are far apart and many people live at a minimal subsistence level, rugby league has been described as a replacement for tribal warfare as a way of explaining the local enthusiasm for the game (a matter of life and death).
The annual Australian State of Origin
Rugby League State of Origin
State of Origin is an annual best of three series of rugby league football matches contested by the Maroons and the Blues, who represent the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales respectively...
matches are the most watched sporting event of the year. Australian rugby league players who have played in the annual (Australian) State of Origin
Rugby League State of Origin
State of Origin is an annual best of three series of rugby league football matches contested by the Maroons and the Blues, who represent the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales respectively...
clash, which is celebrated feverishly every year in Papua New Guinea, are among the most well known identities throughout the nation.
During the 2000 Rugby League World Cup
2000 Rugby League World Cup
The 2000 Rugby League World Cup was the twelfth staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was held during October and November of that year in Great Britain, Ireland and France...
an estimated audience of 2 million watched the Kumuls lose to the Welsh Dragons
Wales national rugby league team
The Wales national rugby league team represent Wales in international rugby league football matches. Currently the team is seventh in the RLIF World Rankings. The team were run under the auspices of the Rugby Football League, but an independent body, Wales Rugby League, now runs the team from...
in the quarter finals in the early hours of the morning local time. Despite this loss over 50,000 fans welcomed the team at Port Moresby Airport later that week.
Participation
Rugby league has a huge participation rate in the junior level with every school in the country involved in a rugby league competition as rugby league is part of the school curriculum. There are 5,000 registered players between the ages of 12 and 18.There are 10,000 registered senior players. They compete in 40 affiliated leagues around the country. Each league has a minimum of seven clubs and each club has four teams.
The national team
The Papua New Guinea national rugby league team are nicknamed Kumuls after the bird of paradise, a national symbol of the country. Their first ever Test match was a 40-12 home defeat by EnglandEngland national rugby league team
The England national rugby league team represent England in international rugby league football tournaments. The team has now seen a revival, having largely formed from the Great Britain team, who also represented Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The team is run under the auspices of the Rugby Football...
in 1975.
They compete in the Rugby League World Cup
Rugby League World Cup
The Rugby League World Cup is an international rugby league competition contested by members of the Rugby League International Federation . It has been held nearly once every 4 years on average since its inaugural tournament in France in 1954...
and first entered a team in the 1985-89 competition
1985 - 1988 Rugby League World Cup
The ninth Rugby League World Cup saw yet another change of format. The competition was stretched to cover almost three years , with teams playing each other on a home and away basis...
, though it was not until the 1995 Rugby League World Cup
1995 Rugby League World Cup
The 1995 Rugby League World Cup was held during October in the United Kingdom. It was the eleventh staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was marketed as the Halifax Centenary World Cup, reflecting the tournament's sponsorship and the fact that 1995 marked the 100th birthday of the sport...
that they were able to win away from home.
The Papua New Guinea national rugby league team
Papua New Guinea national rugby league team
The Papua New Guinea national rugby league team represents Papua New Guinea internationally in the sport of rugby league football.In Papua New Guinea, Rugby league is highly popular and is regarded as the country’s national sport. The national side are known as the Kumuls...
usually play against an Australian national rugby league team
Australian national rugby league team
The Australian national rugby league team have represented Australia in senior men's rugby league football competition since the establishment of the game in Australia in 1908. Administered by the Australian Rugby League, the Kangaroos' are ranked number one in the RLIF World Rankings...
(The Prime Minister's XIII made up of players in teams that have not qualified for the National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
Final Series) each year in Port Moresby
Port Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
. It is such a popular fixture that thousands of people can't get into the ground once it's full, causing people to climb onto the stadium roof or up trees outside the ground in order to see the match. The limited capacity of the stadium for this fixture often sparks riots. Spectators clashed with riot police during this fixture in 2006.